KEY POINTS:
Police hunting a serial rapist in Hamilton are looking into at least two historical cases and say it is possible the man has more victims who haven't yet come forward.
Although they are refusing to say how, police have linked the man to three rapes and are investigating
a possible fourth, which they learned of after revealing the man's offending last week.
The rapist has approached women walking alone in the city and offered them a ride in a light-coloured car or some "assistance" before taking them away and raping them.
Hamilton CIB boss Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Page said police believed there could be some victims who had not contacted police and others who were approached by the man but did not go with him, who may have crucial information for police.
"We've asked for the public to contact us because we believe this fellow is most likely to have attempted this offending previously and may have been successful and the victim feels guilty or embarrassed by a poor decision and hasn't come forward," he said.
"Or where there are occasions where in the middle of town, a chap's pulled up and made demands or requests and has been ignored or the women got away, or it hasn't been successful for him ... we want to hear from them."
Mr Page said that police were reviewing historical files which went back "a couple of years" which had similarities to the latest offending.
"There are two [files] that have immediately come to light but there are others we'll have a look at as well."
Police had received more than 60 phonecalls by people providing information on the case since a media conference a week ago.
"Many people are nominating people they know and offering those names up to us as people fitting the profile or the Identikit.
"Our job is going to be sorting them into a priority queue - as and how they fit a number of key identifiers or key features for us - and we'll go out and speak with them."
The man's victims were aged from their teens to mid-40s.
"I think it would be fair to say that they're all still severely traumatised and struggling to cope."
Police are publicising advice on what people can do to reduce the chance of another attack.
"We have a predator who's looking for opportunities, therefore we need to make sure that people look after themselves and their mates, that they make arrangements to get home and stick to them, and they don't accept lifts or offers of assistance from strangers.
"We want people to keep an open mind. This could be their brother or son, or someone they know, a friend of theirs and we need to hear about it.
"There may well be some change in their behaviour with all this media attention and that's what we're starting to call on people to look for."
Police have set up a free phone number to help the case, which they have called Operation Phil.
Call 0800 TO CATCH or 0800 86 22 82.
